The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) recently shared their support for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) along with their concern about some of the details regarding the program, such as reimbursement rates for independent hygienists.
The CDHA worked closely with government officials during the development of the CDCP to ensure preventive services were covered. However, they find the current version of the plan does not focus on prevention enough.
“Dental caries is among the most common, yet preventable chronic diseases in children and adults as is periodontal disease,” stated a press release from CDHA. “While the CDCP does cover treatment after disease occurs, it limits the services aimed at preventing disease before it arises, which would reduce upstream health system costs and burdens of illness.”
The CDCP also released information on its fees and it appears the reimbursement rates for dental hygienists working independently are lower than those working with a dental clinic or corporation.
